On Wednesday 29th May 2024, Irish Traveller women from Coalisland, Dungannon, Omagh, Craigavon, Armagh and Derry joined non-Traveller allies and duty bearers at The Junction in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, for the only Traveller Pride Week 2024 event listing in Northern Ireland.
Co-hosted by An Tearmann Traveller Women’s Group and STEP, the event was delivered in partnership with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Public Health Agency, Southern Health & Social Care Trust and Early Years NI Toybox Project.
Staff from Irish Traveller Movement and Donegal Travellers Project also made the journeys to Tyrone, to share their experience and expertise on community development and life-long human rights campaigner and Traveller ally, Bernadette McAliskey, provided the closing remarks.
The event offered Traveller women-only conversation spaces on Equality & Rights, Health & Wellbeing and Activism & Leadership. A number of clear asks emerged including the need for:
- Human rights education to support Travellers to challenge discrimination,
- Cultural awareness and competency training for public sector staff
- Recognition and celebration of Traveller culture in education
- Acknowledgement of fear that has grown up around social work and major health issues and action to address these
- Opportunities to share and revive traditional skills, crafts and knowledge
- Adult education in safe and welcoming community environments
- Urgent accommodation improvements and facilitation of nomadic way of life
- Change in attitudes and acceptability of prejudice against Travellers
- Support and pathways for Traveller-led advocacy and employment
Local women and sisters, Chantelle McDonagh, Youth Worker, and Brigidmarie Mongan, Community Health Worker, provided the keynote address, speaking about their personal journeys, those who had helped them along the way and why Traveller women’s voices must continue to be raised up and listened to.
Brigidmarie Mongan:
“It’s so important to acknowledge ethnicity and gender as creating an extra layer of discrimination and racism – I experience that double burden as a Traveller and as a Traveller woman. As Traveller women, we still face discrimination, sexism, and the racist words and stereotypical views that society put upon us.
As a Traveller woman, I have always seen the high mortality rates among my community, the suicide rates and how Traveller children are falling behind in education and learning. It is clear to see the systemic racism that negatively impacts on our health and wellbeing.
That’s why it’s so important for us Travellers and Traveller Women to get involved and mobilised on issues that affect us. There should be nothing happening about us, without us.”
Chantelle McDonagh:
“Irish Traveller women voices matter and are important to me because the women before me they have passed down to me stories, dreams, visions, experiences, hope and the ability to be taught without using a book.
Especially my mother, she has made me the young woman I am today. It’s women like her who have gave me the fire within me to try and change the things that are happening, challenge and address the issues we face.
It is time for a change, it’s long overdue and it needs to start now. We need more people to step up and talk, make a change and see what happens next!”
An Tearmann Traveller Women’s Group meets weekly in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, and the group were the recent recipients of the national Community Award at Traveller Pride Week in Dublin. Another first for the North!
For more information, contact Frances Marshall, Community Development Worker for An Tearmann & STEP, at frances.marshall@stepni.org
